For Curtis Tarver, public service is more than a talking point. He’s spent his career advocating for justice and creating opportunities.

As a lawyer, Curtis has spent his professional career fighting for justice, representing individuals who’ve been discriminated against because of their skin color, gender, or sexual orientation. In city government, Curtis advocated for those who were underrepresented, and he volunteers his time to those who cannot afford an attorney. As your state representative, Curtis will continue to be a fierce advocate for justice.

As a small business owner, Curtis understands the power of job creation and community investment. As the co-founder of the first African-American owned and licensed brewery in Illinois, Curtis knows how difficult turning a dream into reality is. In Springfield, he’ll push for policies that make it easier for small businesses to succeed, grow, and create jobs.

A devoted father, Curtis is committed to making Illinois’ 25th District better for his family — and for yours. As the father of a four-year-old daughter, Curtis fights every day, in his advocacy and professional work, to ensure she and other children have safe and viable communities to grow in. He understands firsthand the struggle students, teachers, and parents face when schools don’t have the resources they need to succeed. As your state representative, Curtis will fight to ensure that every child in Illinois receives a quality education.

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About Curtis

A lawyer, small business owner, public servant, father, and North Kenwood resident, Curtis J. Tarver II has spent his career advocating for justice and creating opportunities. After over a decade of running towards problems and finding solutions in the business, legal, and nonprofit world, Curtis is ready to take his experience to Springfield and work on your behalf.

Curtis focused on public service very early in his career. Shortly after completing law school, he worked in the Office of Intergovernmental Affairs as an Assistant to Mayor Richard M. Daley. Later, Curtis was appointed by the Mayor to the City of Chicago’s Commission for Human Relations, a role in which Curtis advocated on behalf of individuals facing discrimination.

His continuing fight for justice led Curtis to open a law practice at 29 years old, focusing on helping those who have been wrongly injured or killed. Beyond his practice, Curtis volunteered his time with Cabrini Green Legal Aid and Chicago Volunteer Legal Services helping individuals who cannot afford a lawyer. Curtis also works with DePaul USA, fighting housing injustice and working to eliminate homelessness.

Our endorsement goes to Curtis Tarver II, a thoughtful entrepreneur and attorney whose private sector experience would be a welcome addition on the Democratic side of the aisle.

— Chicago Tribune

Curtis is a lifelong advocate for education and the father of a four-year-old daughter. He understands firsthand the struggle students, teachers, and parents face when schools don’t have the resources they need to succeed. For nearly a decade, Curtis has been a mentor to students around the city and, more recently, worked with the Big Shoulders Fund to provide scholarships and resources for students and schools in need.

In addition to his advocacy and public service work, Curtis is passionate about entrepreneurship. At 33, he turned his hobby of homebrewing into a thriving business when he co-founded the first African-American owned and licensed brewery in Illinois. Now his company, Vice District Brewing, is expanding into a second location, quadrupling in capacity, and creating more jobs.

With a diverse skill set and extensive experience in the legal, business, and nonprofit worlds, Curtis is the right person to represent the 25th District.

Issues

Social Justice

For Curtis, social justice is more than a talking point. He’s spent his career fighting for it.

"I grew up with kids who are now in prison or who've been killed. The only difference between me and them is that someone gave me a chance to escape a life of violence and crime. As your state representative, I will fight for justice and ensure that everyone who deserves it gets a second chance. " - Curtis J. Tarver II

Curtis has routinely witnessed the corrosive effects of a discriminatory justice system. As an attorney, he fights for individuals faced with discrimination and volunteers his time to those who cannot afford a lawyer. A small business owner, Curtis hires formerly incarcerated individuals to help them gain on-the-job skills so that they may one day start businesses of their own.

Curtis will work in Springfield to bring criminal justice reform and reduce recidivism, especially for young people, so our system can once again provide justice and rehabilitation, not inequity and obstacles upon reentry.

Quality Education

For Curtis, quality education is more than it talking point. It changed his life.

"Freshman year of high school, I was ranked second to last in my class. My school almost told me not to come back, but my teachers took a chance on me. I signed a contract agreeing to achieve at least 'B' grades. With encouragement and support from my teachers, I made the grades. I still have that contract because it serves as a reminder that well-supported schools and teachers can change the course of a child's life."- Curtis J. Tarver II

After mentoring students in disadvantaged areas for over a decade, Curtis understands the struggle students, teachers, and parents face when schools don’t have the resources they need to succeed. He knows that education is the key to opening the doors of opportunity for young people.

As your state representative, Curtis will fight for more resources for our children and to ensure that the quality of a child’s education is not be determined by the neighborhood they grow up in.

Job Creation

For Curtis Tarver, good-paying jobs are more than a talking point. They changed his life.

Curtis' grandmother encouraged his father to join a union. That opportunity, combined with his dad's hard work, is what provided Curtis' family with stability and upward mobility, afforded him a quality education, and put him on a path to becoming a successful lawyer and entrepreneur.

As a small business owner, Curtis knows the importance of creating jobs and the lasting impact they have on our communities. As an attorney, Curtis fights for workers' rights and fair wages.

As your state representative, he’ll use his experience to fight for good-paying jobs, policies that support local businesses, and the resources our communities need to thrive. By helping small businesses and investing in community programs and institutions, Curtis aims to bring new growth to the 25th district.

Affordable Health Care

For Curtis Tarver, quality and affordable health care is more than a talking point. He’s already fighting for it.

As an attorney, Curtis fights for seniors by going after nursing homes for neglect and abuse, and represents individuals who receive poor care from medical providers. As your state representative, he’ll work hard to ensure that all Illinoisans have access to affordable health services and receive the quality care they deserve.

25th District

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